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Are you that person who doesn’t take their medications as prescribed? If so, you’re not the only one. However, medication noncompliance is unhealthy and can become costly. It is estimated non-adherence causes:

30%-50% of treatment failures and 125,000 deaths annually.

Increased mortality risk by 12%-25% for statins

Increased hospitalization risks for cardioprotective medication by 10%-40% and mortality by 50%-80%

Furthermore, it is estimated non-adherent patients will spend an additional $2000 in physician visits annually. There are more statistics we could discuss on medication non-adherence; however, we want to know why and how we can help.

There are many reasons to why you may not be compliant with your medications. Are you confused on how you should you take it, is it the cost of the medication, do you have side effects, do you have difficulties getting to the pharmacy, do you simply forget, etc? Whatever the reason maybe we can assist you! Here are some tips and tricks to staying compliant with your meds:

Request to enroll in the pharmacy’s medication adherence program. Our pharmacy can synchronize all your prescriptions to be filled on the same day every month, minimizing your pharmacy trips. Furthermore, we can sink all your family’s medications to a single pick-up date.

Take it along with other daily events, like brushing your teeth or with your morning coffee. Example: put your medication bottle next to your favorite coffee cup or coffee pot.

Use special pill boxes that help you keep track, like the ones divided into sections for each day of the week

Set an alarm on your phone; customize the setting on your alarm for repeat.

Keep a "medicine calendar" near your medicine and make a note every time you take your dose.

Talk to your pharmacist and identify if there is a generic substitute that may be cheaper

Utilize free delivery if you have transportation issues

Discuss any negative side effects with your pharmacist; there may be a substitute available that doesn’t affect you the same way.

Most importantly, understand your medication. Know what it is for, how and when you should be taking it.

Contact us with any questions you may have about medication adherence and how we can assist you!

Too often when someone has the sniffles, others assume that they are contagious. However, those sniffles are often caused by something not contagious at all. For those suffering from congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and coughing, a cold may be the first thought, but these are also signs of allergies. Learn the differences between allergies and a cold so you can find the right relief fast.

What Is a Cold?

Also known as “the common cold,” a cold is a virus. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are more than 100 different types of cold viruses. So while symptoms and severity may vary, colds generally share some of the same basic characteristics.

Below are the key features of this common illness:

Colds may be passed through the air from coughing and sneezing, as well as through touch.

Most common symptoms include cough, sore throat, and a runny, stuffy nose.

If symptoms last more than a week or two, the cold may have progressed into an infection.

People with allergies are sometimes more prone to catching colds.

Despite its name, you can catch a “cold” any time of year. NIAID estimates that the average healthy adult catches two to three colds per year. Young children may get more colds because of their weaker immune systems.

What Are Allergies?

Allergies occur when your immune system has an adverse reaction to certain substances. Upon exposure to triggers, the immune system releases chemicals called histamines. While intended to fight off perceived intruders, the release of histamine is actually what causes allergy symptoms.

The following are the facts you need to know about allergies:

Some of the symptoms are similar to colds, such as sneezing, sore throat, coughing, runny nose, and congestion.

Sore throat in allergies is most often caused by postnasal drip.

Allergies can also cause rashes and itchy eyes.

Fevers and body aches are not signs of an allergy.

Seasonal allergies are most common, but you might also be allergic to certain substances year round. Allergy triggers may include:

pollen from trees, grasses, or weeds

dust mites

animal dander

mold

foods (such as tree nuts, milk, and eggs)

You can tell you might suffer from allergies instead of a cold by the duration of your symptoms — they won’t go away without treatment or removal from the original trigger.

Treating the Common Cold

Since they are viruses, colds themselves are not treatable. Still, there are medications that can help alleviate your symptoms while a cold runs its course. These include:

cough syrups (these are not recommended for children under the age of two)

decongestant sprays (only use for a few days — these are also not recommended for children)

pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil)

multi-symptom cold relief medicines (such as DayQuil)

Make sure you ask your doctor before taking any over-the-counter cold medications, especially if you take any prescription medications or if you have any underlying health conditions. No cold medications should be used for an extended period of time. Doing so can cause side effects, such as liver damage.

There are also lifestyle remedies you can try that are free of the risk of side effects. Some of the options include:

drinking a lot of water, juice, and herbal tea (avoid caffeine)

using saline nasal sprays

gargling with salt water

using a humidifier

Antibiotics don’t work for colds, since they are viruses. If a cold progresses to a sinus infection, however, an antibiotic may be used.

Are you that person who doesn’t take their medications as prescribed? If so, you’re not the only one. However, medication noncompliance is unhealthy and can become costly. It is estimated non-adherence causes:

30%-50% of treatment failures and 125,000 deaths annually.

Increased mortality risk by 12%-25% for statins

Increased hospitalization risks for cardioprotective medication by 10%-40% and mortality by 50%-80%

Furthermore, it is estimated non-adherent patients will spend an additional $2000 in physician visits annually. There are more statistics we could discuss on medication non-adherence; however, we want to know why and how we can help.

There are many reasons to why you may not be compliant with your medications. Are you confused on how you should you take it, is it the cost of the medication, do you have side effects, do you have difficulties getting to the pharmacy, do you simply forget, etc? Whatever the reason maybe we can assist you! Here are some tips and tricks to staying compliant with your meds:

Take it along with other daily events, like brushing your teeth or with your morning coffee. Example: put your medication bottle next to your favorite coffee cup or coffee pot.

Use special pill boxes that help you keep track, like the ones divided into sections for each day of the week

Set an alarm on your phone; customize the setting on your alarm for repeat.

Keep a "medicine calendar" near your medicine and make a note every time you take your dose.

You may or may not have experienced an increase in cost for your generic medication(s). In recent months all pharmacies have experienced a tremendous increase in their cost for generic medications, some medications that have been around for decades!! And when we say an increase, we mean an increase typically between 300%-1000%!

So what does this mean for you as the patient? Well, if you pay for your prescriptions out of pocket with no insurance your monthly pharmacy expense may become increasingly higher. If you have insurance, you may find that your insurance rejects payment until your doctor gives further authorization by requesting the insurance pay for this particular drug; or your medication may step up to the next tier.

Sadly, there is not much we, as a pharmacy, can do at the moment. We promise to provide you the best possible pricing available at our pharmacy. However, we understand this may not be enough. We will also work with you, your doctor, and your insurance company to determine if another generic is available and is more cost effective. Whatever the circumstances, we as a pharmacy, are here for you, the patient, to ensure you are taken care of and receiving the best possible outcome from your medications.